


Arranged Marriage

by Liza_Taylor



Series: Promptober 2020-Sylbern/Sylvadetta Edition [17]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, October Prompt Challenge, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27064918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liza_Taylor/pseuds/Liza_Taylor
Summary: Sylvain goes home after his year at Garreg Mach and finds out his parents have arranged a marriage for him.Prompt: "I don't understand"
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier/Bernadetta von Varley
Series: Promptober 2020-Sylbern/Sylvadetta Edition [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947940
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Arranged Marriage

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in an AU if the war never happened and everyone just went home after the end of the school year.

“I don’t understand, what are you saying?” Sylvain’s hands tightened into fists as he stared at his parents, anger pooling in the pit of his stomach.

The current Margrave Gautier and Sylvain’s father, was slowly cutting into his steak and he took his sweet time chewing and swallowing before answering. “You heard me Sylvain. We have arranged a marriage for you, tomorrow you will be meeting her for the first time so please be presentable or I will make sure you are presentable.”

“But I…”

“Dear, we are just worried about you,” spoke up Sylvain’s mother. “With how you…” She trailed off as if searching for a word. “behave, there are not many prospects willing to go through with a marriage.”

“But I’m different now! Things are different,” he said quickly. “I’m not like that anymore, I’m-”

“Enough Sylvian,” growled the Margrave. “We have let you act like a disgrace to the family long enough, it’s time for you to be someone worth your status.”

“It’s for your own good,” said his mother. “From what I hear, she is a good girl, very smart.”

“Her looks could be better but at least she has a crest,” scoffed the Margrave. He waved Sylvian away. “Don’t even think about trying to escape.”

Sylvian got up from the table, the little bit he ate churning in his stomach as he stormed back to his room. A few Gautier soldiers followed him and positioned themselves outside his door. A quick look out the window and Sylvain saw there were guards there as well.

“Damn, he thought of everything,” growled Sylvain. He ran his fingers through his hair, wondering how for the love of Seiros this could even happen. He was supposed to be helping Bernie now, not dealing with the same problem as her!

On the last day of the academy Bernie had gotten a letter from her family stating for her to come home right away because her father had arranged a marriage for her. That was shocking for both of them as Sylvain was going to inform her family that he wanted to officially begin to court her. They had built up a positive relationship with each other during their time at Garreg Mach and Sylvain couldn’t think of being with anyone else but her. She understood him and didn’t see him as just a stud horse for his crest but she saw and cared for him as a person.

“What am I going to do?” she whispered, staring at the letter with wide eyes.

“We’ll think of something Bernie.” He put a protective arm around her and knowing what he did about her father, he was worried about the type of person he would arrange to marry Bernie. Probably an asshole that would try to control and mold her to fit the “ideal” woman. “I know! How about I crash the meeting. You meet this guy and then I swoop in with a, ‘halt you foul beast and get thy hands off of my woman. I challenge you to a duel for her hand!’”

Bernie giggled. “Sylvain come on.”

“Why are you laughing? I would totally do it and you know it.”

“You would,” she said softly, nodding.

“It’s just going to be the first meeting right? I know they usually wait a bit before the wedding and whatnot.”

“Yeah, I think it’s just a meeting.” She wrung her hands together.

“After I say hi to my parents I’m going to head right over. I mean whoever this guy is, I’m probably better than them in status and I have a crest. Trust me okay?”

“Okay.”

Yeah, trust him. Now he was stuck in the same predicament as her! How was he going to get out of this? Oh, maybe he should just be horribly sleezy to her. Such a terrible person that her family would be embarrassed to have their daughter marry trash like him. It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought of him like that. That was probably the best plan for now. After he found out who it was during the meeting, he could really take steps to get out of this marriage.

***

“Sylvain….honey, do you want to get changed into something a bit more….”

“Nope, I’m fine with this Mother.” Sylvian adjusted the sleeve of his suit jacket. It was the gaudiest, stupidest thing he could find on short notice and gave off the perfect vibe of, “I’m rich and I don’t care about anyone but myself.”

“It doesn’t matter what he wears,” growled the Margrave.

Sylvian drowned out his mother trying to convince his dad that first impressions were important. Yeah, well they should have not tried to blindside and marry him off.

In the end, his mother relented, probably because if they kept arguing they would be late and the family got into a carriage and headed into town. Since it was a first meeting, it was going to happen on “neutral” grounds, a restaurant in the next town over. It was technically Gautier owned but it was on the edge of it. A nice place that Sylvain had been to a couple times and he was slightly annoyed that he wasn’t able to take Bernie here yet because of this mess.

The restaurant was booked out and Sylvain plopped into his designated chair, his feet up on the seat opposite of his. Bless his long legs, this would make him look even more like an asshole since his soon to be bride was supposed to sit there.

“Honestly, you are not befitting of a Margrave at all,” growled his father as he took his seat. Since this was a “getting to know you” meeting, the parents sat at a separate table to give the couple the semblance of privacy. How stupid this all was.

After waiting around fifteen minutes and munching on the light snacks given to them, a waiter came in to inform them the other party has arrived.

“Finally,” grumbled Sylvain, adjusting his hair with his fingers as he went over his collection of pick-up lines. Now, how offensive did he want to go on the first meeting?

The first one to enter the room was a burly man with a pot-belly, his hair already starting to gray. Hanging off his arm was a woman, a little mousey in stature, her hair a dark purple. As they went to speak with the Margrave and exchange pleasantries, Sylvain caught sight of the girl slowly following in behind them and he froze, not registering at first who was standing there at first.

Clad in a dark blue dress, modest with the cuffs ending in lace, her hair time and accented with a barrette, Bernie walked over to his table with wide eyes. “Sylvain?” she squeaked.

“What are you?” Realizing what he was doing, he quickly took his feet off her chair, jumped to his feet and hurried over to pull her chair out for her, dusting the chair a bit as he did so. “Here, sorry about that Bernie.”

“It…it’s okay, uh, I like your coat.”

Sylvian let out a weak chuckle. “This old thing? I just found it in my collection and thought to use it.” He returned to his seat and stared across the table at her. The waiters quickly swooped in to bring out the first course.

After a couple moments of awkward silence between them(the parents were busy conversing), Sylvain said, “So uh, is this what I think it is? Because I can’t believe the amount of coincidences that needed to happen for this to occur.”

“Me neither,” she said with a small smile.

“Man, if my parents told me I wouldn’t have fought so much and I wouldn’t have worn this coat. Now you’re going to think I’m stupid.”

“You’re not stupid. Although, why are you wearing that coat?”

“It was my attempt to scare off my potential wife. You know, because she was going to be someone I didn’t want to marry because I want to marry you.”

“What?” she squeaked.

He froze and rubbed the back of his neck, his face burning. “It…I….well, I mean I guess it’s already happening right? So it’s not like it should be a surprise but…” he quickly took a bite out of his meal, almost burning the roof of his mouth from how hot it was.

“Yes, I guess it is good.” Bernie was smart and blew on her piece of fish before eating it. “I want to marry you too Sylvain.”

Oh Seiros, why was she so cute!?

Since it was Bernie, the rest of the meal went fine and soon enough it was time for Bernie to take the trip back home.

Sylvain couldn’t help but give her a hug and murmur in her ear. “I’ll figure it out so you can get away from your father as soon as possible alright?”

“I know you will,” she whispered back before pulling away.

He watched them go and glared at the Viscount the whole time. He wouldn’t have Bernie in his clutches for much longer.

“Well it looked like you two were enjoying that,” said Sylvain’s mother with a bright smile.

“We were.” Sylvain looked to his father. “I would like to marry her as soon as possible.”

His mother gasped. “So soon?”

“We were discussing a wedding date.” The margrave’s eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden shift?”

“Because we get along well,” replied Sylvain. He hesitated, realizing that would probably not be enough to convince him so Sylvain turned to his mother. “To be honest, I was dating her during the academy. I was going to bring it up to you about courting her, seriously courting her with the intent of marriage in the future, but it seems like you two have planned a few steps ahead.”

His mother gasped and Sylvain knew with how she put her hand over her heart that he had gotten her on board already.

“Interesting, perhaps that academy had done some good in you after all. I will see what can be done, however you are going to need to step up your duties.”

“Of course Father. Anything.”

Sylvain knew it was probably going to be tough, his father would not be the type to hold back on Sylvain’s account, especially since he had been slacking off in his duties before this. He would do it though, and he would learn and soon Bernie was going to be right here with him.


End file.
